Adjustable folding and convertible rocking-chair



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSl1eet 1.

O. N. HOLDEN & C. RASMUSSEN.

ADJUSTABLE FOLDING AND CONVERTIBLE ROCKING CHAIR.

Patented Sept. 18, 1888.

Whwsims mm khm N. PETERS. Phnto-Lllhognpher. Wumn m, m6.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

G. N. HOLDEN 8v 0. RASMUSSEN.

ADJUSTABLE FOLDING AND CONVERTIBLE ROCKING CHAIR. No. 389,572. Patented iSept. 18, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLIE N. HOLDEN AND CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, OF SOUTH ENGLEWOOD,

. ILLINOIS.

ADJUSTABLE FCLDING AND CONVERTIBLE RoCKiNG Ci-iAlil.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,572, dated September 18, 1888,

Application filed May 8, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLIE N. HOLDEN and CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, of South Engle wood, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented an Improved Adjustable Folding and Convertible Rocking-Chair; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

to making part of this specification.

Our improvements are applied to a chair which is primarily a rocking-chair and is 0011- vertible into a lounge, and is also adapted to be folded into very small compass for trans- I5 portation or packing away, and is adjustable in its parts to suit the user, either as a reclining-chair or otherwise.

The several features of improvement will be described in the specification and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side View of the chair adjusted as a rockingchair; Fig. 2, a top view of the same; Fig. 3, a side view ofthe chair converted into a lounge;

Fig. 4, a side view of the same folded for packing or for transportation; Fig. 5, a horizontal section of one side of the chair in a plane indicated by the line 1 1,Fig. 1, showing a top view of one of the rockers; Fig. 6, a view in 0 detail showing a front view of the improved locking device for the adjusting-braces; Fig. 6, a view of the same in perspective; Fig. 7, a vertical section of one of the rounds of the chair-seat cutting from front to rear, showing 5 the improved means for attaching a cushion thereto.

Likeletters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

The supportingframe of the chair is com- 0 posed of two pairs of cross legs, A B, each pair pivoted together at the middle, and the pairs connected together by a rod or round, 0, which serves as the pivot for the same. The ends of the two pairs of legs are respect- 5 ively connected together by rounds D E F G.

Thus far the construction is not unusual, and the round F serves as a pivot on which the frame H of the back of the chair turns for adjustment forward or backward, while the ends of the round G are extended beyond the Serial No. 236,907.

(No model.)

legs of the chair to serve as pivots or connec tions for securing the front ends ofthe rockers I, both without special construction; but in combination with the attachment of the round G to the rockers by pivot-connection we provide the round E with extension ends a, which form detachable tenons fitting in holes or mortises, respectively, in the rockers toward the rear ends thereof. These detachable connections between the chair-body and the rockers are for the purpose of folding the chair when occasion requires. For fastening the rockers to the chairbody by these connections we employ a suitable lock or bolt. Thus, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a sliding bolt, D, is mounted in a slidebearing, 0, attached to theleg A,and the lower end of the bolt slides down into a bolt-mortise,d,in thetop of the rocker. \Vhen the rockers are detached from the chair-bod y at these rear connections, they are free to turn on the front pivot-connections to any position required for folding the chair; also for the purpose of folding the chair compactly we find it best to shorten the rockers, so that they may be simply turned into a proper position for folding the chair,and thus avoid detaching them entirely from the body. For this purpose we make the main part f of the rocker shorter than is required for the entire rocker, and provide the same with an extension-piece, g, whereby the rocker may be lengthened to the extent required but may be shortened for folding. To give this extensionpiece therequisite rigidity of attachment to the main part of the rocker, it is provided with a longitudi- S5 nal slot, h, of the required length, and in this slot fits a coupling, e, projecting from the side of the main part of the rocker and of sufficient length to give all the necessary rigidity and strength for the rocker to have. To prefer to make this coupling of two strong bolts, 2' 2', projecting from the partf of the rocker and connected by a cap plate, j, riveted or otherwise fastcned upon the outer ends of the bolts, outside of the extension-piece, and overlap- 5 ping the slot so to hold the piece to the main part of the rocker,

Inc two bolts are far enough apart to. make the joint rigid and strong. The upper forward round, D, also, in addition to connecting the legs of the chair- IOO body, has its ends extended, and upon these ends are pivoted standards J J, which support and are pivoted to the chair-arms K K, the rear ends of the arms being pivoted to the chair-back H. In order to hold upright the chair-back, which, as stated, is also pivoted to the chair-body, a brace, L, extends from the upper end of each standard J backward and downward to one of the legs B, to which it is secured near the upper end of the same. For the purpose of securing each brace to its corresponding leg, and also for adjusting the inclination of the chair-back,an adj Listing-lock is used.

The construction shown and preferred is substantially as follows: Each brace is pivoted at its forward end, or jointed to the standard,

and the rear part of the brace is provided with a series of adjusting teeth or notches, 7t it, any one of which will engage with a lock, M,which consists of a fixed detent, Z, a guide-shoulder, m, above the brace, and a pivoted bindinglatch, a, which, when turned up against the side of the brace, is caught behind a catch, 0, by a wedge action, and immovably locks the brace in place; but when freed from the catch and turned down it leaves the brace free to be changed in position.

In order to provide for the folding in this part of the chair, each arm K is made in two parts, 1) q, hinged together at 1- at a distance from the standard about equal to the height of the same, with a knucklejoint, which allows the arm to double upward, but will not allow it to bend downward out of the proper line of the arm.

To the extension ends of the upper forward round, D, are respectively pivoted the rear ends of forwardly-extended barsNN,between which canvas or similar material is stretched to form an extension-bottom, O, for making part of a lounge, in combination with the bottom or seat of the chair. These bars are connected at their forward ends by a round, Q, which forms a pivot also for the rear ends of two more extensionbars, It, between which canvas or other kind of material is stretched to form another extension of the lounge. The forward ends of these bars R are also connected by a round,S,which forms a pivot,on which the upper ends of two feet, T, are pivoted for supporting the front end of the lounge. A round, U, connects the legs near their lower ends, so that they are properly held in position and made to swing together. The two extension-bottoms and front legs of the lounge all fold downward and backward together, and hang down in front of the chair-body when the chair is used as a chair. The chair-bottom P is stretched around the two rounds D F, and may be of any suitable ma terial and secured in any desired way.

We employ a cushion, V, which is attachable to the chair, so that it will be retained in position upon the chair-seat, and while thus attached may be swung into position against the back ofthe chair when the latter is folded, and thus be kept in place at all times. There are two coupling hooks, W WV, pivoted, respectively, to the sides of the cushion at s s, and hooking around the back round, F, of the chair bottom. These hooks have springtongues t t, which spring down in front of the round, and not only prevent the disengage ment of the hooks from the round, but prevent the hooks from slipping backward on the round. These tongues are readily sprung away, so as to allow the hooks to be disengaged from the round, when desired. The cushion can be turned up or down freely while being held in place by these hooks.

The manner of folding the chair is clearly represented in Fig. 4.

Te claim as our invention- 1. In a folding rocking-chair, the combination of the cross-legs A B, pivoted together, and the rockers I I, having a permanent pivot connection with the respective front legs, a separable connection with the rear legs, and provided with sliding extensionpieces g g, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. In combination with the braces L L, provided with adjusting-notches, and legs B B, the locks M M, attached to the respective legs, each lock being constructed with a fixed detent, Z, adapted to engage with the notches of the brace, guide-shoulder m, limiting the play of the brace-latch n, and catch 0, the saidlatch engaging with the catch by a wedge action, substantially as herein specified.

3. The cushion V, provided with the pivoted coupling-hooks IV \V, hooking upon the rear upper round, F, of the chair, for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with the cushion V and chairround F, of the hooks XV WV, pivoted to the sides of the cushion, hooking around the said round, and provided with the springtongues t t, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\Vitnesscs:

LEVI A. ELIEL, J A0013 RINGEN.

IIO 

